Blogs for Learning: Grace K's CyberEnglish blog

The Red Necklace Visual

Filed Under : Independent Reading,The Red Necklace by Grace K

Jun.1,2012

The novel I chose for my independent reading in this last semester of school was The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. It is a book that takes place during the beginning of the French Revolution, somewhere in the late 1700s. It follows two street entertainers (Yann Margoza and Tetu) as they find themselves caught up in an scandal involving the aristocrats of France. There is murder, romance, mystery, and violence all wrapped in to this one interesting, captivating story.

The images in my visual each represent a different aspect of my book. The buildings in the beginning portray the mansions of the aristocrats in France, and shows that they had a very lavish lifestyle. The wooden Pierrot directly represents the puppet that the street entertainers used, and the sunset represents the time of day when the entertainers gave their last performance. The man looking in the mirror tells of how it seemed like somebody was always listening and watching Tetu, and the boat represents the water that divides Yann from France when he was sent to England. The church is supposed to explain how even the priests were persecuted by the French citizens, and the rest of the pictures describe Yann and his romance with a French aristocrat.

Food Reflection

Filed Under : CyberJournal,Food Identity by Grace K

What surprised me most about this project was the fact that vegetarianism is more common than I thought. Before starting this website, I thought that only a small fraction of people were vegetarian, and that it was strange to live in that way. I thought that becoming a vegetarian would immediately force you to become an outcast. I didn’t realize that vegetarianism is very popular, and that many people accept it. I also learned that, to be honest, not many people care if you are vegetarian, vegan, or if you only eat kosher. They judge you based on your actions and personality. I learned that to work with a group on such an important website takes patience. All of us completed our parts, but I definitely could have gotten my work done earlier. I enjoyed seeing the different ways that all of us expressed our thoughts, and it was interesting to see the differences and similarities in our genre pieces.

My favorite part of the website is the finished product itself. It shows all of the hard work and effort that we put into it. We all put in a lot of time towards this project, and the outcome was magnificent. The hardest part of this project would have to be the genre pieces. For me, it was hard to get started on them, and I can say that I probably procrastinated a little more than I should have. But, like all other projects that I have done, once I started creating them, I really saw how easy it was to finish them.

The main idea that I was trying to convey in the project was that vegetarianism is not that “out there”. I know that from where I come from, it may seem like it is. But, in all reality, vegetarianism can be achieved in this area, and I believe that our website helped to convey that fact. This unit was interesting, but I wondered why food was the topic. It surprised me a bit, and it seemed like a random topic. Overall, I learned a lot from this project, and it was a fun journey.

Short Fiction Reflection

Filed Under : Creative Short Fiction,CyberJournal by Grace K

May.22,2012

When writing our creative short stories, we got the convenience of starting off our story in a group. My group consisted of Emma S, Jade T, and myself. We created a basic story line, characters, and settings together, but when it came to actually writing the story, we worked separately. This way there were three different versions of the same story, which was actually pretty cool. Creating the many aspects of the story together was fun, seeing as though we all agreed with each other and allowed ideas to be heard. Everyone participated, and it was a really good match up of people.

My individual short story has met all of the requirements; it has an introduction, climax, and a conclusion, and it was a good representation of my creative writing. All of my work was completed prior to all of the deadlines, and I made sure to proofread everything. I did procrastinate a little bet when writing the story at first, but after I started it, I really got into it. I feel like the peer review process was a little long, but it surely paid off. It gave me the opinion of a group member, and of someone who had never read my story. It really helped me to know what other readers felt about it, and what they thought I needed to improve on. Looking back, I would be clearer in the letters I wrote to my classmates. I feel like they sort of misinterpreted a few things, and that is partly my fault for confusing them.

In my story I used dialogue to help aid the reader with characterization. I would make it so that the way one of the characters speaks to another describes their attitudes about the person, idea, or situation that they were currently in. I used dialogue mainly to show the different relationships between characters. My tone would have to be motivation, because through it all, Billy Jo does a pretty good job of always remembering what he is doing; running a business. Even though he does get caught up in the drama, at the end of the day he always remembers his business.

Compared to my group members’ stories, mine is a lot different. All of ours are different in the fact that they each follow a different main character, one that we personally created. The stories are all similar, but, for instance, I put more detail into my character’s motivation, while Jade T put more detail into the actual climax of the story. Each story is interesting in its own way, and having them all connect to have the same climax is pretty swell. It gives the reader insight on how each character reacts differently to the same problems or situations. I didn’t think thta it was very difficult to keep our stories related, seeing as though we would normally ask each other for help, or randomly read each other’s stories regularly.

I can’t say that I have a favorite part of my story; I like the whole thing. I know that it;s not the best story, and I know that I’m not an amazing writer, but I am proud tat I finished it (and that it somewhat makes sense). I am most proud of my character, because I did put a lot of thought into him, and I feel like he is one of the most important aspects of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the project, but I am happy that it is over.

Anticipation

Filed Under : CyberJournal,Food Identity by Grace K

Apr.27,2012

I would say that I am meeting most of the daily values for my age group (14-18 girls). I am high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Fiber, average in Protein, Calcium, and Sodium, and low in Iron. Being low in iron, I can say that it is because I don’t eat enough red meat. It shows me that I need to make sure to eat meat at least once or twice a day, to make sure that I consume enough, or close to enough, iron. I’m very high in Vitamin C, because of the vitamins I take in the morning, and as for Fiber, let’s just say I eat a ton of granola bars throughout the day.

What time of the day do I eat the most? It’s a close tie between lunch and dinner, because that is when I feel like I have enough time to eat. This tells me that I need to focus more on eating breakfast, and in order to do so, I may have to get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning, because I know how important breakfast really is. It is needed to kick start the day and I really should eat more in the mornings.

To an outsider, dinner at my house would sound like a constant hum of conversation and the clinking of utensils on place. It would look informal, simply because when there are only 3 people eating a meal, being “proper” doesn’t really cross your mind. Dinner would taste delicious, without any spicy foods, unless you add some to just your plate. It would include milk, which we drink at almost every single meal, and possible desert, which would consist of muffins, pie, or even cupcakes.

There are several times when I use food to celebrate, such as Easter, Birthday parties, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I think that food is a part of these celebrations because it’s nice to have a decent meal with your extended family, and this way you can have a good conversation with friends or family that you haven’t talked to in a really long time.

Meat is Bad?

Filed Under : CyberJournal,Food Identity by Grace K

After watching the first portion of the documentary “Forks Over Knives”, I am feeling less and less lenient towards eating animal based foods. I’m not completely convinced to stop eating those foods, but this documentary really has me thinking about what I eat, the obvious effects of those foods, and maybe the unseen effects. This documentary is about how animal-based diets are unhealthy, whereas plant-based diets are not. I am excited for next week, when I am going to eat only vegetarian for my multi-genre research project. Maybe then, I will see how different I feel, and maybe want to switch to vegetarian. But, I’m not saying that I will commit to one side of the argument before I have watched or learned or listened to the other side. Based off of how many compelling details the documentary had about this side of the argument, I am ready, and looking forward to, watching the next portion of the documentary. That way I can see how people are questioning the points we learned about today, and how there may be evidence to prove this theory wrong. It did surprise me when they talked about how American people are more likely to get cancerous diseases than any other country. However, when they talked about our diets compared to the people of other countries, it really did make a lot of sense. They eat less animal proteins than us, and they are getting less cancers.

The second part of the documentary got a lot more specific, in the aspect that it used a lot more scientific facts to back up the argument. It described how heart disease can be directly related to eating animal products such as eggs, meat, fish, or even just drinking milk. It talked about how people that had gone vegetarian hadn’t done it because if their beliefs, they had done it because they wanted to improve their health, which they did. Like I said before, it used a lot of scientific facts, such as when it talked about the Chinese experiment. It wasn’t so much of as an experiment as it was a study; the premier of China in the 1900s found out that he had bladder disease/cancer, so in order to hopefully prevent this from happening, he did a study to find a cure. He created the cancer book, which helped lead to the idea that cancer is almost strictly caused by varying environmental factors.

Overall, I would have to say that this documentary was quite disturbing for me to watch. It made me think about what I eat, and particularly the animal products. I realized that I do eat a lot of meat, and that I don’t think I could give up eating meat in a heartbeat. It seems as though not eating meat in my home would be weird, and that it would be slightly frowned upon by other family members. And honestly, I don’t really want to go vegetarian or vegan or anything, I just think that after watching this documentary, I will watch more closely at the amount of meat I consume.

I learned a lot from this documentary. I learned, according to research done by professional dieticians, that eating foods made from animals can significantly cause many diseases, whereas eating a plant based diet can stop, and even reverse, some of these diseases. I learned that I should be looking more closely at what I eat, and that I shouldn’t assume that something is good for me because the government says so.

This documentary has raised several questions in my mind. First of all, if meat and animal based foods are so bad for us, why does the government tells us otherwise with the food pyramid? And if a plant-based diet can truly reverse diseases such as diabetes, why don’t more people eat that way? Why do people claim we need meat and milk to be healthy when they can get those same health benefits from plants? This whole thing has made me really wonder about my diet and how it affects me, and even though I am not going to cut meat out of my diet anytime soon, I will definitely be more aware of how much of it I eat.

Finishing it Off

Filed Under : Independent Reading,Stay by Grace K

Mar.19,2012

In the novel Stay, the writer uses dialogue to show the different levels of relationships that vary from one character to another. For example, Clara speaks very intelligently with her father, and they often use inside jokes. But when Clara speaks to Christian, her now ex-boyfriend, she always makes sure that what she says will not offend him in any possible way. The writer wrote the book in a very unique way; one chapter will be in present tense, then the next will recall on the past, then present, then past, and so forth. An example of the author using figurative language in this story is when she wrote “He acted like a dying flower, giving up his will to stand straight and tall”. It helped me, as the reader, to better understand just how depressed Clara’s father is, and how he seems to be giving up.

My favorite quote from Stay is, “When that happens, though, you realize that all of it is there with you still. All of it. You remember. The remembering, and that wind, is what pushes you forward,” (313). I chose this quote because, as the last writing in the book, it does a great job of summarizing the book and explaining Clara’s emotions and feelings after the initial accident. My favorite scene of the book is on page 11 when Clara and her father first arrive at the island that they will be staying at. Clara feels as though she is a little kid, wanting to explore the island. But instead, she lays down on her bed and relaxes, realizing that for the first time in a while, she doesn’t need to worry about Christian.

What I liked overall about the reading circle was that I was finally able to tell someone my thoughts about what I was reading. What I didn’t like, however, was the fact that we were unable to pick our own groups. I feel like, in my case, it would have been more beneficial to me to be able to better connect with the other group members. As a reader, I realized that next semester, I am going to need to pick a longer, more difficult book to read. The one I chose was good, but it was too short, and I finished it within the first week of the semester. My goal from the beginning of the semester was to be able to have everyone feel comfortable about talking when it comes to their book; I wanted all of us to be able to open up to each other about the books. I feel like we definitely achieved this goal, and I know that I was completely comfortable talking about Stay.

Adding Detail

Filed Under : Independent Reading,Stay by Grace K

Mar.8,2012

This past week in our Cyber English class, we have been discussing setting and how it affects each individual book. So, when it came time for the group discussions, we talked about setting. During this discussion it was only Quinton K and I. Quinton is currently reading Holes by Louis Sachar and I am still reading Stay by Deb Caletti.

Characters and setting are very closely related. For instance, if a character is in a dark, scary, abandoned house, the setting here will most likely influence the character’s mood to be scared or frightened. Specific details add more to the effect of the mood that the writer is trying to place the reader into. They also help to explain a character and how they perceive things.

In each of our books, the main setting is a place away from the character’s technical home. In the case of my book, the setting eventually becomes the characters home, but the same doesn’t happen in Holes. The setting I most vividly remember from Holes is the camp that the main character was sent to. Quinton described it to me as dry, hot, and full of many secrets, in a way. I felt like the most difficult part of setting for me to explain was time, seeing as though Stay was written to represent the current time period, and it was almost too easy and simple to describe.

As a group, we would go through a question, tell each other our personal answer, ask and answer any questions, and proceed to the next question. I feel like there is a good balance between talking and listening, and that everyone is acting as though they are comfortable to share their own thoughts. I can’t say that there is one particular leader in this reading group. Each of us pull our own weight to the best of our personal abilities, and in the end, we all contribute to the discussion. Personally, I think that I should start asking more questions about my partners’ books, that way I will be better able to understand what they are perceiving their novel to be.

From the book Stay, the setting that intrigued me the most would have to be the main setting, or their beach house. There are a lot of secrets from the past that arise throughout the story about this particular home and its significance with the character’s father, and it was enjoyable to be able to guess at these mysteries. I think that the purpose of having multiple minor settings in a book is to better explain the plot of the story, and to, overall, add exciting details to keep the reader entertained.

Moving Along

Filed Under : Independent Reading,Stay by Grace K

Feb.29,2012

In this week’s Reading Circle, it was just me and Rachael E discussing the novels we each are currently reading. The topic was Character Analysis, and I feel like we were able to learn more about each other’s book.

Listening to Rachael talk about the main character of her book has made me realize how much of an inverted person Clara (from my book) is. She always wants to avoid confrontation and would rather be alone reading than at a party with a large group of people. I feel like Clara is this way because, first of all, Clara’s father is a writer and cares to keep to himself, meaning she was most likely influenced by this. Second, the last time she had a confrontation, it ended with her now ex-boyfriend shattering a glass against a wall. Clara must feel like, if she were to stand up to people, it will always end negatively.

The only thing that Clara and Katniss (the main character of Rachael’s novel) have in common would be their undoubted love towards their family. Both would do pretty much anything, as long as it meant keeping their family members safe. When it comes to differences, there are many, so I will only name a few. Like I said earlier, Clara is an inverted person. In Katniss’s case, she is a very rebellious and brave young woman, who stands up to her government and pretty much ignites a rebellion. Clara would never do this; she would most likely be the person trying hard to stay neutral. Katniss is very strong and athletic, whereas Clara is more “book-smart” and intellectual. Lastly, Clara’s situation of having her ex-boyfriend stalk her is much different than Katniss’s, who must literally fight for her life.

It seems like the only characteristic that the characters on either of our book have in common is loyalty, simply because both are devoted to their families. When comparing them to modern-day society, the characters come from all around the spectrum. Katniss represents those who resent government or control, and honestly, it seems like Clara enjoys the fact that people have authority over her.

As for my goal for the group, I feel like we are getting more and more comfortable when talking to each other, and I can truly say that I am getting a different perspective on the Hunger Games trilogy.

Horizon Cyber School

Filed Under : CyberJournal by Grace K

Feb.8,2012

Traditional schooling works for many kids, but others need alternatives, for many different reasons. With Horizon Cyber School, you have a choice in how and where your kids learn—to be sure that they’re getting the education that’s right for them; to broaden their learning horizon. Together, we are helping students in grades K-12 reach their true, personal potential.

For those students that learn better visually, we offer many opportunities for them to learn. We have laptops with access to only certain websites with educational videos. We block websites for the better good of the student; to keep them on task and to make sure that they are learning the correct information. We have real-time voice interaction, for those who learn best through sound. At our school, we also offer, as a way to be eco-friendly and technologically current, electronic books through which you can download textbooks, novels, or any other books that will aid in the students learning process. Another technological item that we use in our school would be cell phones. With the cell phones, we use a sort of group text/chat where all of the students and the teacher, for whatever class it may be, can talk together about an upcoming test, homework questions, or where they can converse about a novel. For those who do not have cell phones, internet access to the chat is also available.

The ways in which Horizon Cyber School uses technology for learning are the best for students in many ways. First of all, we cater to the idea that all students learn in their own unique way at their own pace. We offer technology for the students to use, but we also offer simple textbooks and regular classes for those who simply learn better through that form of teaching style. Overall, we are willing to collaborate and create a plan for any individual student to learn and potentially, lead them on the right path to a better future.

Tags : aid, broaden, horizon, learning, opportunities, unique

Learning to be Open

Filed Under : Independent Reading,Stay,Uncategorized by Grace K

As part of our independent reading section of Cyber English this semester, we were placed into discussion groups where we talk about each of our novels. My group consists of Rachael E, Quinton K, and, obviously, myself. Rachael is currently reading The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Quinton is reading Holes by Louis Sachar, and I am reading Stay by Deb Caletti.

I would have to say that, for me, all of these books are similar in the fact that I have known about all of them previously. I have read the Hunger Games and I’m pretty sure that I have seen the movie version of Holes before. They are all different in the sense that they all take place in different settings; the future, current day Oregon, and the middle of the desert.�
Out of all the books, I would have to say that I am most interested in hearing about Holes, simply because I have never read it before. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy hearing about the Hunger Games, but I like being able to learn about something new.
Throughout this introduction, I have realized that I am very bad at picking titles to read. It seems like lately, all of the books I have read in and out of class are similar in more ways than different. In order to keep me entertained, I prefer to read books that are kind of all over the place (genre-wise). I need to realize that, if I find a book and halfway through it I don’t like it, nobody is forcing me to read it; I can abandon it whenever I want to.�
My goal for this Reading Circle is to be able to have everyone feel comfortable about talking when it comes to their book; I want all of us to be able to open up to each other about the books. From my peers, I hope to learn and experience the different ways in which people perceive novels and what’s inside of them. From myself, I hope to learn more about how to put my thoughts about a book into words.

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Grace K's CyberEnglish blog